Stupid Guest Tricks

Alright, so i am just one of many CMs that are excited about the upcoming celebrations at DLR. The newest changes and rehersals of parades and fireworks are really upping the level of magic around the parks. However, i have had a feeling of overwhelming dissapointment with guests and nosy onlookers who HAVE TO SEE EVERYTHING before it debuts. The most recent of dissapointments i will attribute to mouseplanet.com for posting photos taken of a Parade of Dreams after hours rehersal. Apparently we have had people deliberately hanging around the esplanade to take pictures and post them.

There are many reasons why this angers me:
#1. These pics were taken after hours at one of the late night rehersals, meaning that someone had to hang around and wait for just the right angle to get these pics. Where the hell was security? THe Block Party REhearsals were protected by tents that blocked the view of the front gate so as to keep nosy people from looking. One might wonder why this precaution wasnt taken for POD. MY feeling was that a) the float concept drawings were already posted so they didnt think people would be that nosy AND b) they figured it was almost impossible to get a good view of the floats from any angle outside the gates. My main question... WHERE WAS SECURITY?! ISNT THAT CONSIDERED LOITERING? they were just hanging around... ewww FREAKS!!!

#2. ITs a bummer to see that the parades performers havent really and dont really get to take many pictures for their own use of themselves at rehearsals etc. This rule is instated because taking pics of half costumed CMS and parade and posting them ruins the magic for guests that might see them. Hell, theres been law suits over kids seeing CMs with no heads etc. IT would be nice if the public would respect those same RULES... that is, these people claim to vaule disney magic more than most and its a dissapointment to see them flauting this crap every where.

#3. From a CM perspective and, more importantly, from a Parades and Entertainment CM perspective, it is such a let down to see that we have kept a few surprises to a point for soooo long, only to be spoiled by disney freaks of psycho paparazzi proportions to spoil all the magic we have planned. THis celebration is going to be huge and a lot of it was meant to be a surprise.. so much for that idea....

Overall, i understand that there are many things the public has been allowed to witness that couldnt be hidden for various reasons... YOu cant hide fireworks from the city of anaheim... you cant do a parade promo taping without guests to watch for the commercial... its all understandable. HOWEVER... it seems to me that most of the changes that are occuring at the park are happening in the public eye and the changes that arent supposed to be seen are being done after hours. There is a reason we run things the way we do. In between getting pused and yelled at, we make magic for the guests and we enjoy it... stop ruining the only fun we get to have as CMs YOU NOSY BUTTHEADS!!!! NOSY PEOPLE BEWARE... CMS HATE YOU!!!!!!

For those of you in the parade, whats your opinion of the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cast members who come out to line main street (some waiting for hours after their shift) as soon as word spreads that the parade has stepped off and stay till after the fireworks are through? I went last night and there were literally TONS of cms both in costume or in street clothes around to celebrate and no security cm or management said a word. As a matter of fact the "extras" for the parade who were watching it were certaintly curious as to the other cms opinions of the parade.

not cool.

we don't stick around to get a preview of merchandise coming off trucks or new foods items being cooked up backstage.

why should anyone else get a free preview?

and another thing...

most performers love to get feedback from people inside...trusted people who wont go ruining things for people. I myself have had many an opportunity to take pics of backstage rehearsals for parades, fireworks, even tinkerbell flying rehersals, HOWEVER, the thought never seriously entered my mind because im not into spoiling the magic for those performers. MY entertainment friends say its great to have CMs around to have someone to perform to. It's hard to perform and have energy when you dont have an audience, but its all about INSIDERS ONLY. Every Parades CM i have talked to seem bummed and to a point violated about those rehearsal photos being released. NO FAIR and NOT NICE :(

I'm one of the CM's that has seen both the parade and pyro, and I'm not an Entertainment CM. My g/f and I heard they were testing things, so we sat in the hub and watched because we both figured that it would be the easiest way for us to get the best view of both. (Cuz God knows after May it may get crazy around there.) We are not ruining either show for anyone...we're definatly talking it up that people HAVE to go see them. I heard tonight that Entertainment CMs can hand out comp tickets so that their friends and families can see both on Thursday night. So yeah, we saw both but are keeping our lips sealed about the details.

Kudos to you Ally! Yeah I've wished I had the time to go and watch but alas school. Yeah everyone is excited about the new parade and fireworks. I as much as the next person loves a sneak peek. Within reason. Like when they were doing the Parade Promo on Mainstreet. I was oohing and awwing with the rest of the guests as I quickley made my way the long way around to Frontierland.

As for people posting pics like that? That's wrong. I guess with TV shows having "Insider secrets" the public feels they are entitled to it.

Yeah, that sucks when people take pictures of it. Yeah, it ruins the magic and the elements of surprise of the 50th.

an here is the rebuttle....i get where you CMs are comin from...people at mouse planet i guess are total disney addicts...anything to get "sneak peek" its a cryin shame too :notallthe http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=41007

Maybe they should point thier browser to "IneedaLife.com".

People that must take pictures of parades, fireworks and attractions that aren't even open yet and post them online expecting some kind of prize and attention
are freakin' pathetic.

I don't get it. I don't get the animosity in either direction.

I don't understand MousePlanet posters griping about the venting that goes on here. CMs put up with enough crud, I'm glad you have a place to vent. And no one has to read any of it -- in fact, they have to come here on purpose. (And if the title of the website doesn't clue them in as to what they'll read here, they're stupid beyond all imagination!)

But likewise, I don't understand the vitriol aimed at someone taking pictures of a parade rehearsal (which, as was pointed out above, was not screened from public viewing areas) and posting them. I've been in enough stage shows, and my fellow performers and I would love it when people took an interest in the unfinished project -- it meant more people coming to see the actual show! As for the posting of the photos, it was appropriately flagged with spoiler warnings and a link which allowed readers to skip viewing the pictures if they didn't want to.

It brings to mind the Backlot Tour my family & I took at MGM last month, before the Lights! Motor! Action! auto stunt show opened. The tour took us past a practice area for the stunt show and behind the new arena. There, in plain view from the tram, was Herbie the Love Bug -- split into two clearly drivable halves.

Surprise spoiled? Kind of. End result? I really want to see the show and find out how the half-cars are used!

Likewise, I've seen the pictures of the parade at issue here. They give me a partial glimpse as to what the parade will look like. I have no idea about the music, characters, dancing or interaction, and if anything, the pictures let me know this is going to be a really cool event that I want to see. I suspect most people who see the photos will have a similar reaction.

Couple that with the probability that maybe 1 in a 1000 guests will have seen these pics before they see the parade (and many more will likely see pictures of the parade after it publicly debuts but before they themselves get to Disneyland). IMHO, the reaction is just a wee bit overblown.